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STEAMBAI'SING APPARATUS.

No. 552,741. Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

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0. BOURBON. STEAM RAISING APPARATUS.

PatentedwJan. 7.1896.

A II'UUEFUTUH AN DREW IGRANAM PHHTO-LHHO. WASHINGTON DC.

CHARLES BOURD ON,

FFICE.

OF PARIS, FRANCE.

STEAM-RAISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,741, dated January'7, 1896.

Application filed February 15, 1893. Serial N0.462,521. (No model.)Patented in France December 16, 1892, No. 226,433; in Belgium December21, 1892,1i'0. 102,636, and in England December 2 1, 1892,1To. 23,808.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BOURDON, eugineer, residing at Paris, in theRepublic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSteam-Raising Apparatus, (for which Ihave obtained Letters Patent inFrance, No. 226,433, dated December 16, 1892, in Great Britain, No.23,808, dated December 24:, 1.892, and in Belgium, No. 102,636, datedDecember 21, 1892,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an apparatus for producinglow-pressure steam.

111 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an apparatus constructedaccording to my invention and suitable for a small production. Fig. 2 isa side sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 a front view of apparatusdesigned for a larger production, the principle remaining the same. Fig.4 is a vertical section, and Fig. 4: a sectional plan of a modification.Fig. 5 is a vertical section, and Fig. 5 a sectional plan of anothermodification.

The principle of my invention consists in having in contact with thefurnace only the smallest possible quantity of water in order to rapidlyproduce the steam which is re quired, and in separating this quantity of.water from that which is employed for feeding the boiler. Thisfeedingis performed continuously by placing the chamber where the steamis produced in communication with a feed-water reservoir, and then insupplying this feed-water cistern by means of a ballcock arranged on asuitable water-pipe, or by any other suitable means.

The apparatus for producing a small quantity of steam, (shown in Fig.1,) is composed of a furnace having a continuous feed, closed at itsupper part by a lid and terminated at its lower part by a grating. Theproducts of combustion escape by an annular chamber 13 and pass into achimney C. The steam is produced in the annular chamber D, in directcontact with the heat of the furnace, and is discharged by a side tubeE.

The feed-water reservoir is placed at F, in an annular chamber insulatedfrom that in which the steam is produced by an air-chamber G, which maybe filled, if necessary, by any suitable insulating material. Thisreservoir communicates at its lowest part II, by means of a spacearranged between the walls, with the chamber where the steam isproduced. Finally an automatic feeding apparatus, formed by a ball-cockarranged on a water-pipe is shown on the drawings at I.

The outer wall a of the chamber where the steam is produced, the bottompiece I) of the insulating air-chamber, the internal partition 0 of thefeed-water reservoir, and the cover (Z of the reservoir, form a completeapparatus which may be taken out altogether, allowing this part to beeasily cleaned in case the feedwater contains salts or mud. The onlyjoint which requires to be made in this mode of construction, is the onewhich connects the outer wall a of the chamber where the steam isproduced with the upper part c of the internal partition f.

It may be necessary in certain applications of this boiler to limit thepressure of the steam produced. For this object, and in order to limitthis pressure, the steam-discharge pipe E may have a branch J, which isimmersed in. the feed-water to a certain depth. In certain cases thesteam, after having served for the purpose for which it is intended, iscondensed, and the water of condensation may be returned, if desired, bya pipe K into the feed-cistern. This pipe is immersed in the water inthis cistern in such a way as to condense (until the water in thecistern reaches 100) the small quantity of steam which may return bythis pipe. The difference between the water-level in this returnwater-pipe K and the bottom of the branch pipe J determines the maximumpressure of the boiler. This production at a very low pressure makes itunnecessary to prevent the water in the reservoir from communicatingdirectly with the atmospheric air, either by the lid d not beingtight-fitting or by its being provided with a pipe allowingcommunication with the open air, or by the feed-cistern I.

It is preferable that the return water-pipe K shall not be directlyinserted in the reservoir of the vaporizer, because that would causeinconvenience. In fact, when the fire of the apparatus is put out, thewater from the reservoir, under the action of the vacuum which would beproduced by condensation in the pipes, would be drawn up both by thereturn-pipe as well as by the pipe J, and would fill all the heatingapparatus, inasmuch as the ball-cock would continue to feed it. Thisdrawback is avoided by causing the pipe K to open into a siphon, as isshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the fire is put out, the water inthis siphon only is absorbed, and then the external air rushes in,disconnects the siphon, and prevents a vacuum being formed. Thisarrangement further allows of a small pressure being created in thepipes, which maintains a good distribution of the heat.

It is needless to state that the siphon may be made in the form shown inthe drawings, or may have the usual curved shape.

It will thus be seen that this boiler does not present any danger, as incase of any stoppage in the steam-discharge pipe in consequence of theclosing of the tap or for any other reason, the steam produced in thechamber D will be discharged by the pipe J as soon as it has attained acertain pressure, the limit of which is fixed by the distance this tubeis immersed in the feed-cistern. Finally, two methods of regulating theworking of this apparatus are shown on the drawings.

If the steam be produced by the apparatus in a greater quantity than isrequired, the return water-pipe K, in place of returning water to theboiler, will return the steam produced in excess. This steam isdischarged in the form of damp vapor, and will serve for regulating theapparatus by diminishing the draft of the furnace, and consequently theproduction of the steam.

The first means of regulating consists in discharging this damp vapor bymeans of a tube L which opens into a valve-chamber M. A Very sensitivevalve is keyed on the same spindle as the chimney-valve N. This latteris counterbalanced in such a way as to remain normally in a position toopen the draft. hen the watery vapor reaches the valve M the pressure ofthe vapor, although small, causes the valve to assume an inclinedposition, which causes a partial'or total closing of the chimney-valve,and consequently a diminution of the activity of the production ofsteam. The watery vapor which proceeds from the valve-chamber M isdischarged into the atmosphere.

The second method consists in conducting the watery vapor which is.released by a tube L to the space beneath the grating of the furnace.The damp air, consequently, arrives in small quantities under thefurnace, and, arresting the combustion, diminishes the production ofsteam. The action of this jet is the more eflicacious in that it actsnot only by renderin g the air already there less combustible, but bydiminishing the facility of the access of fresh air to the grate, whencare is taken to direct it toward the door of the ash-pan by a suitabledevice. These two methods of regulatinghereinbefore described actequally well in the case where an excess of pressure is produced in thechamber D, as the steam which then escapes by the tube J, as has beenhereinbefore explained, escapes from the apparatus by the tube fordischarging the watery vapor L or L acting with the regulating apparatusor directly on the furnace to check the fire. This excess of pressuremay be caused by the apparatus (owing to the application which is madeof it) havinga tap on the tube E, which may be closed at will.

When it is desired to produce a large quantity of steam, with theapparatus working on the principle hereinbefore described, it ispreferable to separate the vaporizer from the feed. The apparatus forproducing large quantities may then be arranged as is shown in Figs. 2and 3 of the accompanying drawings. It is composed of a furnace Acontinuously charged, closed by a cover and terminated at its lower partby a grate A and an ash-pan A A door A serves for firing the furnace.The fuel is sustained by a bridge X. The combustion is produced in achamber surrounded with water. This wateris contained in the boiler,properly so called, and circulates between the double walls U j 0 I i Qg, the spaces between the walls being con nected with each other by agroup of tubes D, and a double partition f communicates at f f with theside walls of the boiler. The combustion gases pass through fines B toreach the chimney C. The boiler is sur mounted by a dome R, whence thesteam produced escapes by means of a tube E.

The construction is such that the charger A, the furnace, the partitionf and the wall 0, the group of tubes D and the internal walls g i j ofthe boiler may be withdrawn at a single operation, which insures an easycleaning and necessitates only a single joint at Z being employed forthe boiler.

The feed-water reservoir is situated at F. The water runs into it bymeans of a ball-cock I and passes into the lower part of the boiler by apipe H, having a branch orifice 71.

In order to insure a certain pressure, but always a low one, for thesteam, thus allowing it to be used for certain purpose, thedischarge-tube E is prolonged on one side by a tube J, which is insertedinto the feed-cistern and in the tube 11, which places this cistern incommunication with the boiler. The maximum pressure of the steam will betherefore determined by the difference of level between the water of thefeed-cistern and the lower opening of this tube J. The water of theboiler is nevertheless in communication with the external air by meansof the tube II, which communicates with the open air either at its upperpart or by means of a tube starting from the orifice 7L and passingunder the regulating-bell Z, of which mention will be made further on.

According to the usages and the pressure of steam which it is desired toobtain, the dome R, the tube 11 and the tube J must be of a suitableheight.

The water of condensation from the apparatus which utilizes the steammaybe caused to return, if desired, to the feed-water reservoir by meansof the tube K.

The mode employed for regulating the boiler is shown in the drawings. Itmaybe applied to the type of boiler for a small production, which hasalready been ,described, and the means employed for that type may alsobe employed for the boiler for a large production, which is now beingdescribed. This system of regulating also utilizes the steam produced inexcess in case of a too-great production of the boiler. This steam comesby the tube K for returning the water, and lifts the bell Z, which isimmersed in the water of the feed reservoir, if it be not desirable forthis steam to come in contact with a large surface of water, which mightcondense it and diminish the delicacy of the regulating. This movablebell Z may slide over a fixed bell W. However, this fixed bell is notindispensable.

A triangular slot r is arranged at the base of the movable bell Z insuch a way that the first quantities of steam may arrive under the belland escape therefrom by this slot without acting suddenly on theregulating-levers. It is only when this quantity of steam becomesconsiderable that the movable bell Z is raised by the force of the steamwhich passes between it and the fixed bell XV and acts by the lovers aand b on the valve N of the chimney, which diminishes or totally arreststhe draft. The bell in rising uncovers a gradually larger portion of thetriangular slot 0- and allows the steam to partially escape by thisslot, which further avoids any toosudden effect or too-sudden action ofthe bell on the regulating-levers.

If the quantity of steam produced is too much to be carried off by allthe steam-using apparatus and to reach the tube K sufficiently in timeto regulate the draft, or if, by any cause whatever, the discharge-pipeE for the steam is stopped, the steam produced passes through the tube Jand is discharged into the open air, where it may go through a suitablevent and be condensed in the feedtank. The damp steam escapes by a tubem. No danger of explosion is, therefore, to be feared, the steamproduced being able to escape into the open air.

In order to complete the description of the applications of thisvaporizer, the form which it may assume when it is employed for heatingvehicles, such as omnibuses, railway-carriages, tram-cars, and the like,will now be described, and the arrangements which it is preferable tomake in the apparatus in which the heating of the steam produced isutilized as much for heating the vehicles as for that of dwellings.

The first is shown in Fig. 4, and is composed of a fireplace A having aninclined grate with. a charging apparatus A formed by a hoppercontaining the reserve of fuel. This grate is surrounded by the boiler Dproperly so called, Where the water in a thin layer rapidly comes to theboil. The products of combustion. escape by two side openings B arrangedin the double wall of the boiler D They are brought by the side flues Bhaving internal baffle-plates B up to the chimney This latter inclosesthe steam-dome R which surmounts the boiler D The feed-Water reservoiris at F This water can never be brought to boiling-point, for it onlyreceives the heat of the products of combustion which are relativelycool. E is the steam-outlet from the dome R. In proportion as the wateris very rapidly evaporated in the boiler 1) it is replaced by Water fromthe reservoir, which passes by the tube I-l into the boiler D Itsconstruction is such that the furnace is completely independent of therest of the apparatus. This part being the only one which can becomeworn out,it may be replaced while preserving in tact the feed-waterreservoir and the fuel-hopper. The plate A behind the boiler beingremovable, all the parts in which the evaporation is produced may beeasily cleaned.

The second type, of a more simple construction than the preceding one,is shown in Fig. 5. The boiler, roperly so ca1led,is formed of acircular grating A placed at the bottom of a central furnace A ,'oneportion of which is occupied by the chimney C The water exposed to theaction of the furnace is in a circular portion D of relatively verysmall thickness. A circular air-chamber G insulates the boiler from thefeed-water reservoir F which communicates with the latter by the annularspace IF. A rod A projecting from the ash-pan allows the grating A to berocked. The boiler D is of a greater height than the feed-waterreservoir F so as to form the steam-dome R at its upper part. On thissteam-dome the pipe for conveying the steam E is arranged. Thefeed-water may be introduced by means of an opening situated in theupper part of the reservoir F Inorder to internally clean the apparatusthe air-chamber is removed in a single piece, and the upper lid of theapparatus. The part comprised between the furnace and the external caseis accessible from all parts after this has been done.

The quantity of steam produced may be regulated in both these types ofboilers by regulating the draft of the furnace by a valve placed in thesmoke-stack.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for producing low pressuresteam, a boiler comprising two chambers of unequal volume incommunication with each other at all times, the smaller chamberconstituting a steam chamber, and the larger one a feed water reservoir,open to the atmosphere, in combination with the steam outlet pipe fromthe steam chamber having a branch with its open end immersed in the feedwater, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus for producing low pressure steam, a boiler comprisingtwo communieating chambers of unequal Volume,one a feed water reservoiropen to the atmosphere, and an intervening insulation in combinationwith the steam outlet pipe from the steam chamber having a branch withits open end immersed in the feed water, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. In a steam boiler for producing low pressure steam, a boilercomprising two communicating chambers of unequal volume, the larger afeed water reservoir open to the atmosphere, the steam outlet pipe fromthe steam chamber, and a branch pipe from the said steam outlet pipe,the said branch having its open end terminating in the larger chamber ata predetermined distance below the water level, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. In an apparatus for producing low pressure steam, a boiler comprisingtwo conmunicating chambers, a steam outlet pipe from one of thechambers, the other chamber being provided with two inlet pipesterminating at predetermined levels therein, one of the said pipesleading from the said steam outlet pipe, the other being a return pipe,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an apparatus for producing low pressure steam, a boiler comprisingtwo communi eating chambers, one provided with a steam outlet pipe, theother provided with two pipes terminating at predetermined levelstherein, one of the last named pipes leading from the said steam outletpipe, and the other being a return pipe, for the condensed steam, and asiphon in the latter chamber into which the return pipe opens, allsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. An apparatus for producing low pressure steam comprising an annularfurnace A, B, annular walls a and c forming chambers D and G, and anannular chamber F all 0011- centric with the said furnace, an annularbottom wall D connecting the lower edges of said walls a. and c and acover cl the said walls a, b and c and cover (Z forming a completeapparatus which is adapted to be removed as one piece, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribingwitnesses.

CHARLES BOURDON. lVitnesses:

JOSEPH DELAGE, RoBT. M. HOOPER.

